Alone
by poisonedship
Summary: You can be surrounded by the people you love and love you back but still feel alone. Too bad she was surrounded by no one. No one but one. Maybe that's all she needs now. Carries on from S2 finale. Established Adam/Kono with team friendship and angst as Kono deals with what happened.
1. Chapter 1

Her mind and body goes into action the second she hits the cold water. She's not sure whether 'Toothpick' has done this before or if Delano knows about her youth because she has her hands taped in front of her allowing her to rip the tape off her mouth without any hesitation. Next, she begins gnawing at the tape that binds her wrists together, doing her best not to swallow any water whilst doing so.

The moonlight is fading as she sinks deeper, the light from the boat long gone. But Kono keeps tugging at the tape with her teeth until it's practically off and all it takes is one strong pull and she's free.

Kicking her joint feet, Kono manages to get enough momentum with her free arms to get close to the surface. Her lungs are burning and this went beyond the drown proofing she had acquired when on the pro-circuit.

Finally breaking the surface, she gulps a huge mouthful of air in a way she knows she shouldn't. But this is unlike any other moment in her life, nor one she has thought about and trained for. Her first instinct is for air, and she greedily takes everything she can.

She can't last above the water for much longer and is soon sinking back in again. She dives for her feet, undoing the tape as quickly as she can but the panic makes her falter and she makes mistakes. Her lungs beg for oxygen and the release of the toxic carbon dioxide that's building up. Just when Kono thinks she can't take it anymore, her left leg feels lighter and suddenly she is free.

This time, she slowly breathes in the air she needs whilst paddling in the water. Her whole body aches but there's no time to focus on that. If she gives in, she dies.

Looking far and wide as much as she can in the absolute dark, she blinks and wipes the water and what feels an awful lot like warm tears from her face as her eyes adjust. She's alone. She knows that. Chin would have gone to save Malia. She doesn't blame him, no matter how her eyes water in a way that the seawater has nothing to do with. It makes sense. She could survive the water, however bound. It was her turf. Malia couldn't survive a gunshot. Didn't mean it didn't hurt though.

Blinking lights in the distance, very faint and only recognizable when her eyes adjusted, caught her attention. From their height, it might have been on land. Maybe even where she had been taken to before being transferred onto the boat then dumped.

Kono pushes away all those thoughts and focuses on swimming over. Her muscles cramped and she coughed up water when she accidently swallowed some. She's not entirely sure she didn't have a concussion either from where she had banged her head against her kitchen table when 'Toothpick' had overpowered her and knocked her out before taking her.

The swim takes a while but she couldn't tell you how long for sure. Everything blurs together and the only thing that keeps her going is the blinking light that gradually turns into multiple round lights guiding her back home.

She doesn't see the shore, not even in the moonlight or the lights around her. She finds it when she hits the sand with her knee and then her hand. She doesn't even bother to get out of the water but just sits there on her knees and aching legs to simply catch her breath and breathe and rest.

The cold ocean breeze makes her shiver and eventually move by gathering enough energy from the end of the adrenaline rush that surely got her this far.

Stumbling, it takes three tries before Kono can actually walk, still tripping over the stones and twigs in the sand as she drags her feet. It's not far to the fence that would surely lead her to some sort of civilization. But it takes longer than it should because she needs to take breaks in between; to breathe, to let her legs stop shaking, to keep herself together instead of breaking down in how horrible and alone she feels. She knows why Chin isn't there, but by now, Kono's sure it must have been over 15 minutes, so why aren't there people looking for her? HPD? Steve? Danny? Delano would have been long gone by now, as would have 'Toothpick' and the other man who had had Malia. Even if they were still tapping into Chin's phone, what could they do?

So where were they? Were they looking in the wrong place? It was possible but HPD was huge, and with Chin knowing where 'Toothpick' had taken her, they should be covering the search area by now in which she's sure she is in.

And where were Adam and his men? They had plans tonight, and even if Chin hadn't called him, he should have been to her place already and seen the obvious mess that indicated trouble. She was never one who needed or relied on someone to rescue her, but Kono knew when she needed help. Right then, she needed help in more than one way.

She makes it to the dunes and up the path to the grassy sidewalk a while later, thoughts still churning in her head and stomach. The area was virtually deserted, which only made sense if it was in the same vicinity of where 'Toothpick' had taken and dumped her.

Another shiver runs up her spine when she takes a glimpse back into the cold, dark, unforgiving waters. Kono shakes her head, cold drops hitting her collar and arms to send a jolt through her. She needs warmth. A shower, her bed, more clothes - dry clothes - anything. She needs it to chase it all away and awake her from this misery.

Coming across a payphone, she pauses to lean inside the box. 'Toothpick' had taken her gun off her but her phone, wallet and badge were at home. But she remembers that afternoon (was it really only that afternoon?) when she went to see Max in hospital and bought a bag of sweets for him as a 'get well soon' gift. She had stuck the change from the note she had broken to pay for it into her jeans' pocket. When she digs into them, she finds the coins still in her right one.

The first number she dials is automatic: Chin's. It rings and rings until it eventually rings out into the voicemail. Kono opens her mouth to leave something but nothing comes out. In that case, if he had answered, what would she have said?

She shakes her head and hands up before inserting the next coin and dialing Adam's cell phone number. The personal one that she knows he has on him at all times, though she hopes he'll pick up a call from an unknown number.

She's about to give up hope when the ringing stops and he answers with a curt and hurried "Hello?"

* * *

_A/N: My first non-McKono fic for this fandom. These two are my guilty pleasure. Another one after Danny/Mary Ann. What do you lot reckon? There will be background on Adam/Kono too, how they got together and met, and everyone else's reactions too, to both them together and what happened to Kono. I will update again tomorrow, depending on feedback. I work better with motivation, good or bad feedback helps. Otherwise, in a few days._

_Special thanks to cm757 for proofing this. And to the tumblr fandom for motivating me to write this._

_Disclaimer: Not mine._


	2. Chapter 2

"Adam." She says, her voice raspy and tears threatening to form a lump in her throat, making the two syllables come out disjointed. Simply hearing the voice of someone else was enough to start breaking her out of the nightmare.

"Kono?" He replies, sounding a mix of shock and worry. "Kono, where are you?"

"I-" She stops and tries for look for a sign that would tell her where she was. "I don't know." She admits in the end. "Near the beach somewhere. North shore, I think."

"Ok, stay there, I'll find you, alright?" Adam tells her, sounding confident in his words and making her believe him completely. It relaxes her to the point where she's leaning heavily against the huge payphone for support. There's shuffling and muted speech in the background. She guesses he's moving already and giving instructions of what he wanted others to do. "Kono, are you still there?"

"Yeah." Is all she can say.

"I'm locating the phone you're at and we'll be there in a bit, alright?" He informs her softly, comforting her more than the words itself.

"'We'?" She asks, heart lifting at the thought of seeing both Adam and who she hoped was Chin, too. Or anyone from Five-0.

"Me and my men." He tells her to her disappointment.

"Oh. Chin?" she merely asks, not up for asking long questions. She can hear the familiar sounds of a car door shutting and then the engine starting.

"He's ok." He says, misunderstanding what she was trying to ask. Though she wonders if she should feel bad about wondering where he is before how he is. "Are _you_? Are you hurt, Kono?"

"No, I'm ok." She lies, not wanting to think anymore about her aching body, thumping head and burning insides, "I'm ok." She repeats, more to herself because she is ok and she needs to remind herself that after thinking that she might not make it not that long ago.

"Kono, we've located the payphone. I'll be there in 10, ok?" Adam breaks into her thoughts and snaps her back to reality.

"Ok." She repeats, relief flooding her. "Adam, Malia?"

"She's in hospital. That's all I know, I'm sorry. You can ask Chin when I get to you." He tells her apologetically.

"She's alive. That's good." Kono mutters, mainly to herself. It means that Chin choosing her was the right choice because they were now both alive. The phone chooses that moment to click to indicate that time was running out. "Adam, I've got to go. I don't have anymore change."

"Wait there, alright? Don't move. I'll find you, Kon-" He's cut off halfway through her name and she hangs up slowly after.

Letting go of the payphone, she crumbles to the ground, sliding down the glass windows to crouch on the floor. The area is quiet; too quiet. She can barely hear the sea and she wonders if that's due to the water in her ears, but she had been able to listen to Adam alright. It was eerie and it put her on high alert; staying crouched, ready to pounce should anyone choose to walk by and be less than nice to her. Though with how she was feeling, Kono wishes she had some sort of weapon to attack with too.

She fights the urge to close her eyes and relax with the knowledge that Adam will find her by keeping her mind thinking. She thinks over what he told her about Malia, glad that she's ok and now safe in hospital where she can get the help she needs. Though if Adam knew about that, then surely he must have known about her being missing and from Chin, too.

Now that she thinks about it, she thinks she could vaguely hear outdoor sounds in the phone call with Adam. How else would he be able to get to her in 10 minutes? And to find her that quick - she knows he had ways to finding out himself, with enough people, equipment and money to run a quick trace – he must have been prepared. She wonders if he would tell Chin, or at least Steve or Danny, or HPD, if they were looking for her as well. Delano had said not to contact the rest of the team or the force, so it could be that Chin only called Adam. Right then, she was glad for her cousin's overprotectiveness that led to him forcefully demanding her to give him Adam's private number after they had had their talk about the relationship and how Kono planned on staying with him despite what he, or everyone else, thought.

Kono's not sure how long she sits there for, lost in her thoughts, when she's pulled out of them by headlights shining towards her brightly. She stays down, squinting into the light until they're shut off and she hears the engine switch off simultaneously as the doors open. Her eyesight takes a minute to adjust, but by the time it does, she's able to see 5 men walking in separate directions out from the car and towards the beach. It's only when she spots Adam himself that she stands up, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and takes careful steps over towards him. Her legs threaten to buckle under the sudden weight and her dry throat doesn't let her to call out until she's half the way there and has swallowed enough times to gather moisture.

"Adam." She calls out weakly, but in the dead quiet of the night, he hears her and turns towards her from where he is stood eyeing the sand in front of him, and the area opposite where she had been.

"Kono." He says in a breath of relief, approaching her twice as quickly as she moves. Before she knows it, his warm hands frame her face, fingers pushing back her wet hair before trailing down to her neck. "Are you ok?" He asks even as his eyes take her in from head to toe, worry etched clear on his face in addition to the fading relief.

"I'm ok." She assures him, stepping closer into his body and heat, glad when he gets the message and wraps his arms around her securely and into an embrace that she so desperately needs. She feels the residual fear and coldness start to fade away on instant and right then, as much as she loves her ohana, she's glad it is Adam who came to find her. At least with him she was free to be who she wanted to be without any judgment on her abilities.

"I'm glad you're alright." He murmurs into her hair when she buries her face into his neck. "I was so scared when I got the call…" He trails off even though she knows what he's talking about. She pulls away when she's close to breaking down and crying, and that's the last thing she wants to do right then, both in public and in front of four of his men.

"Yeah, me too." Kono admits whilst pulling away. A shiver runs through her at the loss of contact. Adam, ever wary like he has been of her throughout their relationship so far, pulls off his suit jacket and drapes it over her shoulders, warming her back up once again though not as much as he had himself.

He wraps an arm around her after making sure the jacket is enough and leads her back towards his car. She sees another one parked behind it, exactly the same as the first one. It explains the four other men. Once they get to his car, he takes her around to the passenger's side and opens the door for her to get in. She does so willingly, sinking into the leather seat comfortably as he guides her in with a hand on her back.

"I'll be right back." He says once she's in and is wrapping the jacket around herself again. Kono nods and he shuts the door before heading over to where the rest of his men are, calling them back together. She can't hear what he tells them, but she sees them nod and agree and then head towards the other car. They're in and leaving before Adam returns to her. A shiver goes through her at the thought of what Adam might have told them to do but she soon realizes that she doesn't care. Whatever it is, they deserve it, because there is no doubt in her mind that the 'they' were Delano and his men.

* * *

_A/N: I can't believe the response I'm getting for this fic. Every hit, favourite, alert and review makes my day. I am motivated by it all, so please don't forget to leave even the smallest comment in that box just down there to say what you think. Even a word or half a word would be appreciated. Thank you!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own it but I so wish I did._


	3. Chapter 3

She pulls the jacket tighter around her, already feeling a few damp spots soak through the fabric. Kono doesn't want to think about how much it must be worth because if she does, she might not want to use it anymore, and that would not be good for her right then – she's sure that the jacket is the reason why she was still so composed in the dark by herself where she was free to break down if she wished.

Adam gets straight into the driver's seat and turns on the engine before switching off the air conditioning that is always on in every car in the state of Hawaii, and instead turns it onto a much warmer setting for her benefit. She can only show him her gratitude with a weak smile.

"I haven't got anything warmer now, but we'll be someplace that will have everything you need soon." He tells her as he drops his phone into the cup holder between then and begins to drive off.

"Where?" she asks him suspiciously.

"You'll see. Don't worry about it, ok? Its all under control." Adam assures her with a soft smile and a light squeeze of her hand. The smile fades at that and he reaches for the dial to turn up the heat instead. She guesses she must be colder than she currently feels.

He grips her hand again after, enclosing it whole and gently rubbing his thumb across it to help warm it up. It feels nice and safe, and helps her concentrate on something else, so she covers his hand with her other hand to utilize his natural heat to warm her up faster. She wants to defrost and thaw out because right then, her mind is working so slowly, it takes almost 5 minutes for her to notice the phone she could use to call Chin.

Letting go of Adam's hand, she reaches for the phone but barely manages to touch it before his hand is on her wrist, having shaken off her other hand, to stop her. She looks at him questioningly, and in the dark, she can just about make out the outline of his face until he looks over at her with sympathy.

"Wait until we get back." He tells her, not letting go of her wrist and still driving effortlessly towards their destination. The roads they take are small and quiet, avoiding the main busy ones in a way she thinks is to keep people from maybe following or finding them.

"Why?" She asks, voice still croaky. "I just want to call my cousin. Did you tell him?"

Adam shakes his head and guides her hand back to her lap, keeping a hold of it too.

"No, I didn't get the chance to and it was too risky." He tells her.

"Too risky?" She asks, not having caught up.

"Delano is still out there and might still be listening to your cousin's phone. If he is, he'd have known he called me to help. If I call him to say we found you, Delano would know too. Right now, priority is to keep you safe." Adam explains and even though it makes complete sense, Kono doesn't like the thought of not being able to tell Chin she was ok.

"But you have a secure line." She reminds him.

"It doesn't matter. It's not worth the risk." He says before sighing after looking over at her upset face and feeling guilty. "Look, I promise you, as soon as I get you to a safe place and we have everything sorted out, you can call him. He knows that if something was wrong, I would have called him instantly."

Kono nods, understanding what he means with a drop of steel balling in her stomach. If Adam had found her dead, he would have called Chin to tell him because then Delano would have had his revenge. But because she's not, no one could know. She didn't like it, but she didn't have the strength to argue that with Adam there with there, she'd be fine, and that she would rather go to the hospital to see Chin and Malia than to a safe house or wherever it was he was taking her. As soon as she got her strength back up again – probably tomorrow morning – she would let him know.

The rest of the journey was in silence but she needed it as her eyes began to drift shut. The last thought she remembers is wondering why Chin, or even Danny or Steve, hadn't called Adam themselves to check up on the progress of what was happening. Because even if Adam couldn't say she was alive and well, a small message, a code, would have sufficed to stop the worrying. If they were worrying. That's what bugged her to most. Anyone else, and she would be beside herself, tearing the islands apart to find them. She wouldn't rest until she knew for sure they were ok, even from a vague message. She thought her ohana were the same. Would be and do the same for her. Maybe she was wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

Kono wakes up when the car comes to a stop and the engine is turned off. It's a dark place, indoors somewhere. Her eyes adjust with a few blinks to spot a couple of cars very similar to the black Hummer she's currently in. A parking garage. But not a public one by the looks of it.

Her whole body aches and protests against her twisting in her seat, turning to face Adam, who looks back over when he feels her eyes on him. He has his phone back in his hand and is sending a message this time.

"Hey. Thought I'd have to carry you in for a moment there." He jokes with smile, which she returns effortlessly because that's what he makes her do.

"Where are we?" She asks instead, pushing herself into a sitting position instead of slouching and pulling the jacket around her.

"One of the hotels' parking lots." He tells her, not having to clarify further that it was one of his hotels.

"Isn't this a bit predictable if Delano comes looking for me through you?" She asks, curious, because she's sure there is a plan here.

"You'll be safe here, Kono." He assures her as a form of answer but she simply blinks at him and he sighs, reaching out a hand to squeeze her leg gently and leaving it to rest here. "I have many safe houses, Kono. All over the world. But that's predictable and sooner or later, the one we keep you at will be discovered. A hotel is more public and less likely to be a possibility." He explains.

"Hiding in plain sight." She adds, nodding to show she understands because the idea of being hidden away for days, weeks, months if Adam got his way, in another country no less, was enough to make her edgy already. At least here she knew she was at home, less constricted and would be able to leave when she was back to 100 percent. Or Delano was caught. Whichever came first.

The chime of an arriving message breaks the silence they have lapsed into. It seems to be what Adam was waiting for because he types out a quick reply because pulling out the keys and opening his door to step out. She follows his lead, undoing her belt and opening the door. But before she could step out, he's there, waiting patiently and she wonders how slow she was really moving.

Brushing off his attempt to help her down, Kono manages with ease, gripping onto the door handle a bit tighter when her knees threaten to buckle and her legs burn with the movement and weight. She doesn't pull away from the arm he wraps around her waist once they start moving away from the car because if he didn't, she would probably fall.

They get into a regular looking elevator on the other side of the garage. It needs a key to operate and although it had buttons for every floor, it must be used exclusively for the penultimate floor because it lights up as soon as the key in inserted and a code is entered. Kono realizes she's never been to this hotel before. Since their relationship was made public, she has visited his place, the apartments and penthouses he had in his hotels, and he had been to her place much more freely than before. It had made life easier even if, dare she say it, she sort of missed the taboo of sneaking around at times. Just because it was exciting. But now, going public was exciting in it's own right, allowing them to enjoy things like never before. More than that, without going public, he wouldn't have been able to save her.

The thought makes her stomach twist uncertainly, makes her lungs aches again though she now has an abundance of oxygen, and her body to stiffen slightly as a fight or flight instinct takes over again.

Adam's arm around her waist tighten, pulling her closer as he shoots her a questioning glace whilst talking on the phone about something being set up. She's not sure what exactly. She's not paying much attention to what he says, but only to the low murmur of his voice, comforting her with its familiarity.

By the time he hangs up, the elevator 'bings' in signal for arrival on the floor they want. The doors open and he ushers her out, leading her into a wide but short and empty corridor. It was obvious that this floor had exclusive use by Adam only. Or whoever was authorized to need and use the room at the end of the hallway.

"What's going on?" She asks as they walk, noticing how raspy her voice has slowly become. There's a tight feeling in her chest when she breathes too, similar to the tightness felt when she's caught a horrible cough. Or swallowed too much water after crashing into the ocean when she was learning to surf. Both initially and after her injury.

"Nothing." He replies but she doesn't believe him and lets him know with a look. "I'll explain in a bit. First you need to be checked out."

Kono rolls her eyes at his answer because she had wondered why he hadn't mentioned seeing a doctor yet after almost drowning. She had already formed the argument that if he wanted to get her checked out, then she wanted to go to the same hospital that Malia was in so she could see Chin too. But Adam had gotten it all covered.

"No. First, I want a shower and some dry clothes." She tells him and he nods at the change of plans without a second thought whilst opening the door to the suite. Because that's what it is. A suite.

* * *

_A/N: Wow, not a single review or PM or_ anything_ for the last chapter. Was it really that bad? I know you guys were reading it. I hope this one fairs better. A small comment, even a simple word summing up what you thought or if I should continue would be highly appreciated. I understand that Adam/Kono are a minor ship fanbase but I know there are more than a few out there. I've seen you on tumblr for starters._

_Disclaimer: Nothing is mine._


	5. Chapter 5

The first thing she takes in is that they're not alone. There are four other men in the room they enter into, an open space living and dining room. She recognizes the men as the ones who were at the beach earlier on. Before she can carry on with a visual exploration of the room, she's guided straight and without another work towards a double door opposite to where they entered. The men didn't pay them any attention except for when they first arrive and Kono gets the feeling they're there for her protection or something similarly moronic. They were packing heat, that was for sure. But she had no energy to argue.

Beyond the double doors there is a smaller living space area, furnished with sofas, chairs, coffee tables and a TV among other things. But they don't stop there and Adam guides her to another set of double wooden doors, which leads them into a bedroom.

It goes to say something about Kono's modest life and living when she is still impressed by the size of the bedroom despite having experience live at this luxury for months now, and after all that had happened to her that day. In the room there is a magnificent king sized bed that she know would be twice as comfy as it looks, and all she wants to do is dive into it and hibernated for a few days or weeks even. But the room is cold with an icy breeze passing through it from the air-conditioning machine that makes her body prick in goosebumps. Adam hurriedly moves from her side to switch it off and she spots a small enclave that she guesses from what she had seen from his other hotels would lead to the adjoining bathroom.

It does and she's not disappointed to see the spacious shower that she is dying to use to wash everything from her horrifying day away.

Dropping the jacket onto the counter next to the sink, Kono turns on the hot water in the shower to let the steam to start building up and warm her up.

There's a mirror behind the sink and she has no way of avoiding it when she turns back to it. She knew it wouldn't be a pretty sight, just not as bad as this. Her hair is still damp at the ends with the rest having dried messily with debris from the sea sticking to it, and to her clothes too. They were ruined. So were her favourite boots. Even if they hadn't been by the water, the memories would have. A bruise covers her upper right arm and scratches are decorating her other arm, shoulder, clavicle and neck. There's a small cut on her left temple where she had hit the table when 'Toothpick' had taken her. All in all, she looks as bad as she feels. Maybe ever more once she checks out the rest of her body currently hidden under her clothes.

She's taking off her shoes when Adam reappears in the doorway with a pile of clothes. Jogging bottoms that look warm and comfortable, a T-shirt and a long sleeved button up shirt, all of which she knows is his.

"I'll get you some of yours tomorrow from your place." He tells her when he places the pile down onto the counter and sees her watching him. Kono merely nods, not really caring. "Do you need anything else?"

"No." She shakes her head too; the humidity from the shower not helping with her already labored breathing.

He watches her for a moment before nodding and narrowing his eyes a bit suddenly. He grasps her chin softly between his thumb and finger to turn her head so he could see the bump forming clearly on her temple. A small frown appears on his lips before he sighs and lets go and nods again.

"I'll be right outside if you need anything. Take your time. We'll get you checked out after." He says and then leaves, pulling the door close behind him for a sense of privacy though he doesn't allow it to click in place. Kono lets it be only because her thighs ache so much that she fears she might not be able to make it through the shower without collapsing.

The water isn't clear when it runs off her body, but it's not as dirty or murky or bloody as she thought it might be. The sea had washed the majority of it away but there was a layer still on her. Only it turned out to be unwashable by shower. At least for that day.

* * *

_A/N: Okay, that was amazing! Thank you for all the reviews you all left. See, that wasn't so hard, now was it? It means so much to me, every one of them. It got me writing this quicker. I hope you enjoy it as much as you have enjoyed the rest of the fic._

_Disclaimer: not mine._


	6. Chapter 6

She's not sure how long she spends in the shower, washing her hair twice despite the stinging it causes to her temple or other cuts, scrubbing her skin with the shower gel over and over until she feels the warmth start to sink into her. Then she stands still under the flow until it's suffocating and her priority is not to get clean anymore but to breathe.

The towel she dries off with is soft and warm that she doesn't want to put on the clothes but rather wrap herself up in it and go to bed. But she remembers Adam's comment about getting checked out and she knows it wouldn't be appropriate for her to do it her way.

When she pulls on the clothes, the shirt left open over the top, she's happy to disregard the towel for the time being for the comfort his clothes gives her. They're clean but the scent reminds her of him.

He's not in the bedroom when she leaves the bathroom, but before she could explore, he enters from the room they had came from earlier. He approaches her as she stands taking in the fresh air of the room, the temperature difference making her shiver.

Adam stops in front of her and smiles softly whilst reaching out to do the buttons of the shirt for her, obviously having seen her reaction to the cold.

"Are you hungry?" he asks, eyes going from hers to the shirt and back again as he averts his attention.

"No." She says, catching the time on his watch when she looks down for a moment. It was past 2 in the morning. She wasn't sure where the time had gone because it has been approaching 8 in the evening when she had last checked the time when she had entered her house and hung up after finishing a call to the man in front of her.

"I'm going to get you something anyway." He replies, dropping his hands to her waist when he's done with the buttons. "In case you need to eat before the medications."

Kono groans at that. They're not far from the bed and all she wants to do is collapse into it. Preferably together.

"I'm ok. I just want to sleep for now and then go catch that son of a bitch." She tells him but her words don't make him relent from his original words.

"It won't take long. Just humour me, ok?" Adam replies and she sighs dejectedly, shifting on her feet and nodding. "Good." He adds. Before he can let go and walk away, she speaks up to stop him.

"Adam?" she asks when his grip loosens on her, ready to head back to where he had come from. He stops at her call, raising an eyebrow in question. "Thank you for…" she breaks off and shrugs, running a hand though her hair. "Everything."

"Of course, Kono." He smiles back, pulling her closer and pressing his lips to her forehead as she wraps her arms around his waist and held on tightly, face pressed into his shoulder and neck, allowing the familiar scent of him comfort her and remind her why she was still with this man who made her feel things she really shouldn't but had no control over.

They stay like that until she pulls away first when she thinks she's about to fall asleep there and then, standing in his embrace.

"I'll go get the doctor." Adam tells her, smoothing a hand down her hair as he did. She doesn't argue this time.

Kono waits perched on the edge of the bed, feeling the mattress sink under her weight a bit. She's looking around the room to take it in – the space, the furniture, the great big window currently blocked by the curtains and the window seat in front of it.

Her attention is claimed by a knock on the door, a small pause and then it being opened. She's disappointed for a moment that Adam isn't with the man that enters but then realises that the last thing she needs is him knowing everything that's wrong with her and fussing about it when all she wants is to go catch Delano and make him pay for what he did to her, Malia and Chin.

The 'examination' doesn't take as long as she thought it would. She's diagnosed with a mild concussion, a bruised rib and having swallowed and inhaled water. There wasn't much to be done about it apart from bandaging up her ribs and cleaning out all her other wounds. She's given painkillers, antiseptic cream and the warning to be woken up every two hours that night. Though she had no plans on dying after surviving her previous ordeal, the doctor tells her he will inform Adam too, just to be on the safe side. He actually says its incase she falls asleep before she talks to him, but she knows what he means really.

There's nothing for Kono to do but nod because she has a feeling that this man is the 'go to' guy for the Yakuza when they need medical help, and so now responds to Adam when asked, confidentiality be damned. It was a good thing she didn't mind on this instant otherwise she wouldn't be happy with the lack of privacy. But considering she did almost die, and that she knows he would know she would play it all down so to get out onto the streets faster to catch Delano and probably get injured worse in the state she was in, it's only fair for Adam to find out for himself. She would have done the same if it was the other way around and she had the kind of influence that he had.

The doctor leaves promptly after and Kono doesn't waste any time in climbing straight into the bed she had been eyeing for what felt like hours now. She's not even settled in when the door is opened again to reveal Adam with a plate in hand, making her groan before her head can hit the soft cloud-like pillow.

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_A/N: wow amazing reviews once again! Please keep them coming. I love that you all enjoy reading this and are taking the time to leave a message about what you thought. A thousand thanks to each and every one of you._

_Disclaimer: not mine :(_


	7. Chapter 7

He smiles at her softly and closes and locks the door behind him, coming to stop next to the bed and placing the bottle of water and sandwich on the table next to her.

"I'm not eating all that." She tells him before he can say again. He sighs as he perches on the bed next to her.

"I know." He replies before pulling out a chocolate bar from his pocket and throwing in her lap. "Will you at least eat that?"

Kono smiles at how well he knows her despite the fact that they had only known each other for a few months. She enjoyed the simple things in life and chocolate was one of them.

"I can try." She comments and he laughs softly, laying a hand atop of hers and rubbing it gently. When she looks at their joint hands, the contrast of his larger one on her small one, she notices his sleeves having been pushed back – a sign she knows means he's stressing about something. "What's going on outside?"

"Nothing." Adam answers immediately, pulling his hand away to allow her to open the chocolate bar. "The doctor said you have a concussion and I have to wake you up every two hours."

"And a bruised rib, but you know that. And you know that I know." Kono adds to hurry the conversation along because he's deflecting and for some reason he's not that good at it. At least, not good at it with her for a man in charge of a crime mob. "What's going on, Adam?" she asks again, taking a bite of the treat he brought her and realizing just how hungry she really was when the sweetness hits her hard.

"Nothing for you to worry about, ok?" he tries again but this time, she merely sends him a mild glare and he sighs, leaning over with a hand on the other side of her stretched out legs to move closer to her. "We're looking for Delano and his men, that's all."

Kono raises an eyebrow at him, not because she's surprised – if he hadn't been looking for him then she would have been surprised – but that he had told her so easily. Maybe the day had had a bigger effect on him than she had previously thought.

"Have you found anything?" she asks.

"Not yet but we won't stop until we do." He reassures her, but Kono already knew that. "We'll find him, I promise you, Kono. Between us and HPD, he can't get away this time."

"You're working with HPD?" she asks in shock, chocolate bar forgotten in her lap. Adam nods once.

"We have a common goal for once here. Your cousin made it so we can work together but apart." She furrows her brow at that. "It's late Kono, and you've had a long day. I'll explain more tomorrow, ok? That's all you need to know for now."

"Adam." She begins but he's already getting up to fetch the box of pills that the doctor left on the round table on the other side of the room. So she finishes off the chocolate bar instead and waits for him to return. "Thanks." She says when he gives her the box and the water bottle.

She's never been a big fan of tablets but she knew that she needed it if she didn't want to get worse. But having to take them under the eagle eye of someone else made her hesitate. She sipped the water slowly before throwing the pills in her mouth and chasing it down with more water, doing her best not to choke on it. It goes down but the acidic taste remains behind and she drinks almost half the bottle before Adam stops her.

"The doctor said excessive thirst would be the result of swallowing the sea water but you shouldn't drink too much too quickly. You can have some more when you wake up again." He instructs her, forcefully taking the water away and placing it onto the table where the pills had came from as if he didn't trust her. To be honest, she didn't trust herself at that moment either but that was beside the point.

"You mean when you wake me up." She points out whilst shuffling down in the bed and he offers her a wry smile in reply.

"Yes." He simply replies, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her again.

"I need to call Chin first." Kono remembers suddenly, even as her eyes begin to slow in their blinks, feeling heavy in a way she suspects the medication had a drowsy side effect. "Adam?" she prompts when he doesn't reply, looking at him through her lashes. "You said I could talk to Chin when we got here."

"You're tired. He knows you're ok so wait until the morning, yeah?" Adam tries but Kono just shakes her head and pushes herself back up in bed.

"Adam, you said." She reminds him, staring at him dead in the eyes with sheer determination. Despite the tiredness that was drowning her body, she would will herself to get out of the bed and find herself a phone if she needed to.

"Kono-" he begins and then shakes his head and stands up to pull out a phone from his pocket. It's not his work nor his personal one. It's a basic phone that can be brought from any vendor with a small bill. Not even a camera on it. Kono can't remember the last time she used or even held a phone like this. "Be quick, ok? Even though it shouldn't be traceable, don't take any risks."

"I know. I won't take long." She assures him, all the sleepiness leaving her as she held onto the device tightly as if she was worried that he would suddenly change his mind and take it away. "Thank you."

Adam doesn't reply but nods and leans in to kiss her briefly before standing up and leaving the room for some privacy. He reminds her that he'll be just outside and shuts the door behind himself but doesn't lock it. There's no doubt in her mind that the bedroom was a forbidden area unless they had an invitation from Adam or Kono themselves.

She stares at the phone in her hand. Now that she has it, she has no idea what she wants to do with it. Calling Chin would be ideal but what would she say? She wants to make sure he knows she's ok so he doesn't worry about her when he needs to focus on his wife, and she wants to know how Malia is. Selfishly, she wants to know where Danny and Steve are too. If Adam's working with HPD, then surely they must be too.

Tossing the mobile around in her hand for a moment more, she sighs and settles back against the pillows and headboard, pulling the sheets up to her neck and quickly dials Chin's number. Like before, it rings and rings, but this time, it doesn't go to voicemail because he picks up.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hello?" Chin greets slowly, and she knows its because the caller ID would have came up as 'Unknown'. Swallowing, she inhales before replying.

"Cuz, hey." Kono says, voice shaking a bit for reasons she didn't know.

"Kono." he replied in relief. "Thank god. I was worried. Are you ok? Where are you?"

"I'm ok. I'm with Adam." she answers as vaguely as she could because she remembers Adam's warning about being careful. "How's Malia?"

Chin sighs before replying. It sounds like the few seconds took 20 years off of him when he speaks, tired and hurt and worried, all mixed into one.

"She's stable but they still have her in the theatre. I haven't seen her since they brought her in." he admits and all she wants is to be there with him.

"She'll be ok. I know she will. She's strong and she has a lot to fight for." Kono says comfortingly, hoping it was the right thing.

"Yeah, she is." Chin agrees before clearing his throat. "Kono, I'm sorry-"

"No." she cuts him off before he can carry on. "Don't apologise." she says, a hand gripping onto the sheets that cover her as she carries on. "You made the right choice, and look, we all got out of this, right?" she tells him, trying to sound as optimistic and bubbly as she usually was, and hiding away the hurt she felt and still feels about what had happened. But right then wasn't the time or the place to get into it.

"We did. Delano included." he mutters angrily. "HPD are working on tracing him with the aid of the Yakuza."

"Adam said." she tells him. "What about Danny and Steve?"

"I don't know." Chin says with a sigh. "I can't reach them. I've tried calling and left them a message to call back ASAP."

"Right." Kono mutters, closing her eyes and laying her head back against the bedrest, imagining her cousin sitting there in the hospital waiting room by himself at a time like this. It had been hours since they had finished up with their case and gone their separate ways - there was no way that in that time, they hadn't looked at their phones once. It was believable with Steve to be out of contact for a bit, but never Danny. He has a daughter who he makes sure can reach him all the time, 24/7, and if not him, then someone who can get him immediately. Like Steve. It stung to think that her and her cousin had gone through something so dramatic and traumatic and they were none the wiser. "I guess they'll call when they can, then."

"I hope so. Maybe Delano is blocking their calls or something." he tries to reason but Kono knows that neither one of them believes that. The last thing Delano would be worrying about right then is Chin's phone. By now, one of them should be dead and his revenge exerted, and on the run from HPD and Five-0.

"Maybe." she agrees halfheartedly. "I'll let you know if they call me." she tells him though its unlikely because they wouldn't even have her number, or Adam's.

"Ok. Call me regardless, though, please, Kono?" he tells her, questioning attentively like she was going to snap and say no, and cut him off from her. She guesses there is reason enough to believe that she could, but she wouldn't. Not when she was the only one he had right then.

"I'll call when I wake up. Let me know of any changes."

"I will." he assures her. "I'm glad you're ok, Kono."

"Me, too." she replies. "I'll talk to you later." she says, waiting for him to bid her goodbye before hanging up.

Sighing, she shuffles down in the bed until she has her head resting on the pillow before curling up on her uninjured side. She goes over the conversation with Chin in her mind, trying her best not to think about how he must be feeling right then because the tears that prick her eyes threaten to fall and her ribs ache enough as it is without the added pain of crying. Instead, she turns that train of thoughts into where Danny and Steve could be, and after berating them in her mind, she finally hopes they're ok and well, and away from this Delano mess at that moment. Though she could have used their help, she would never want them to be hurt or injured.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Kono doesn't remember falling asleep; just that the last thing she was thinking about was the team. She wakes up when she feels someone pry something out of her hand - the phone she didn't remember having held onto after hanging up on Chin.

"Adam?" she murmurs, still half asleep with eyes closing heavily instantly.

"Yeah, its me." he whispers into the darkened room. She opens her eyes again to look at him but the faint lighting in the room doesn't help her make him out when she barely has enough time for her eyes to adjust before they shut again. "Go back to sleep. You're alright." he tells her when she tries to open her eyes again. She's not sure why, but she has a feeling that she's forgetting something.

"Water." she mumbles, stretching out onto her back and sitting up a bit.

"Here." Adam hands her the bottle, making sure her hand grips it before he lets go, before running a hand through her hair and over her forehead. "You feeling ok? No dizziness or nauseousness?"

"No." Kono replies after finishing the water and replacing the empty bottle onto the table next to her. "I feel ok." she tells him, and suddenly she recalls the conversation with her cousin from earlier and how she told him she would call him. Although she knew it couldn't have been more than a couple of hours, she still wanted to make sure he was ok. "I need to call Chin."

"Its ok-" Adam began.

"No! I said I would-" she tries but is cut off quickly before she gets herself agitated.

"He called a little while ago." he informs her, sitting on the edge of the bed again, taking her hands in his own, and she notices that he's changed out of his clothes and into something more comfortable and for bed. "Malia's out of surgery and doing well and Danny was with him. He wanted you to know."

The information made Kono pause as she comprehended it. Nodding, she relaxed into the bed.

"That's good." she says and she wants to ask where Steve was, but she knows that if Adam hadn't mentioned it, then he didn't know. "How's the search going?"

"Its going." Adam tells her shortly, getting up and heading for the bathroom. "We'll know more in the morning."

Kono sighs with the vague reply, knowing that she wasn't going to get more out of him right then because his biggest concern would be her resting and she knows that she wouldn't if she knew more about what was going on with Delano.

Laying down again in the bed, she pulls the covers up to her shoulders when a shiver runs through her at the thought of Delano perhaps being somewhere close by, and what he had done to her. She can still feel the tape binding her ankles and hands, the water pulling her down and her lungs aching for air. The dark room doesn't help her orientate herself, with the faint light reminding her of the moon and the distant city lights. If it wasn't for the soft mattress under her, and the warm body that slides into bed next to her, she was sure that she would never sleep again.

She curls into Adam as soon as he's settled, resting her head on his arm so she can tuck her face into his neck, twining a leg with his and clutching at his shirt with her hand to anchor herself to him. She can feel his fingers smooth their way through her hair with the other hand holding her close, making her feel warm, safe and comfortable for the first time that day. The last thing she recalls before falling asleep are the low murmurs whispered into the top of her head to go to sleep and that she was ok, interrupted by the press of kisses. She smiles when he tells her he loves her and she wishes she had the energy to reply the same.

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_A/N: Sorry for the long delay in updates. I hit a bit of a wall with writing and generally lost motivation. But I've regained momentum and have a couple more ideas in the pipeline too!_

_Disclaimer: not mine._


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